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CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



The outer bark should be a clear yellow or purple brown, accord- 

 ing to the variety, and without dark blotches or immature areas. 

 When the cane is cut with a sharp knife the inner bark should appear 

 green and full of sap, the wood should be hard and free from dark 

 specks or streaks, and the pith of moderate size, clear, firm, and 

 light colored. 



Cuttings which do not fill these specificationst should not be 

 planted directly in the vineyard. Less perfect cuttings may be 

 planted in the nursery. Some are likely to grow well and will be 

 suitable for vineyard planting the next year. 



Time to Make Cuttings. Cuttings are supposed to be best if 

 made from vines pruned within a week or two after the fall of the 

 leaves, but, if the vines are healthy and the wood well matured, 

 they may be made from vines pruned at any time from the fall of 

 the leaves until a week before the starting of the buds in spring. 



It is best to make the cuttings as soon as possible after the vines 

 are pruned ; but if the weather is cool the prunings may lie a week 

 or two in the vineyard without injury. 



Method of Making Cuttings. Cuttings of from half an inch to 

 one-third of an inch in diameter are best, and they should not be 

 more than 1 inch at the butt nor less than one-quarter inch at the 

 top. The shorter they are the better, providing they can be made 

 to root. In good nursery soil with special care cuttings of 8 inches 

 do very well. Usually 10 to 12 inches is better. For direct planting 

 in the vineyard they should be from 15 to 18 inches. The looser and 

 drier the soil and the hotter the climate the longer they should be. 

 In wet heavy soil in the cooler regions short cuttings are preferable. 



Kind of Cuttings. Cuttings may be made from any part of the 

 vine if they fill the specifications already given. In some cases only 

 one cutting can be made from one cane; in others, three, four, or 

 more. There seems to be no reason to avoid suckers and water- 

 sprouts if they are of the proper quality. Laterals, if large and well 

 matured, make excellent cuttings and are often preferable in long- 

 jointed varieties, like Sultanina. 



The base of the cutting should be as close as possible to a bud, 

 providing the diaphragm or cross partition is left. If a pithy piece 

 of wood is left at the base the cutting does not heal over when it 

 roots and is apt to decay. At the top of the cutting about three- 

 quarters of an inch of internode should be left above the upper- 

 most bud. 



Care of Cuttings. If the cuttings are made in planting time they 

 should be planted as soon as made, with care to prevent drying. If, 

 as is more usual, they are made several weeks or months before 

 planting, their success depends very much on the way they are 

 handled in the meanwhile. 



The amount of growth that a cutting will make the first year 

 depends on the kind of soil it is planted in, the regularity and suf- 

 ficiency of the water supply, and the temperature and length of the 

 growing season. A properly handled cutting in suitable soil in the 



